


Thread count

by NYWCgirl



Category: White Collar
Genre: Episode Related, Gen, Gunshot Wounds, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-07-11 19:39:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7067365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternative ending to White Collar season 1 episode 2 ‘Threads.’ for wc_rewatch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thread count

 

“How long will we have to keep this up?” Tara looks nervously at Neal. It is obvious that she isn´t at ease.

“Just long enough to get noticed.” Neal guides her towards the bar as the perfect date he pretends to be.

“You're doing great, Tara.”

“I'll be doing better once this is over.”

“That dress really does look fantastic on you.”

“If only I could wear it on a runway.”

“There's nothing to say you won't someday.” Neal tries to bring Tara in high spirits, but it isn´t really working.

“Can I get you a drink?”

Before Neal can order anything, a waiter appears next to them. “Excuse me, sir? This just arrived for you.”

Neal knew this was coming so he picks up the phone and answers it.

“Hello?”

“ _I recognize you from the party_.”

“Who is this?”

“ _I saw you steal Dmitri's phone.”_

“Yeah, I was trying to eliminate the competition. Guess it worked.”

“ _So you know what you have_?”

“I know exactly what I got.”

“ _You paid fifty thousand dollars for the dress. I'll give you five million.”_

“Aw, my fiancé loves it so much, how about we make it ten?”

“ _Do you know who you're talking to_?”

“This is Steve, right?” Neal says cocky.

“ _I tried to be nice. I tried to give you a choice.”_

The phone is disconnected and Neal shows the phone to Peter, who walks towards them. It is obvious Ghovat isn’t here, so there is no use in pretending anymore.

“Tara, two agents will take you back to the safe house.” Peter announces.

“No, Ghovat knows I am here, he will get me.”

“What if I stay with you?” Neal suggests.

“Neal?” Peter doesn´t like where this was going.

“What? I can keep an eye on her and the two agents can keep an eye on me.”

Peter sighs, he hates to admit it, but maybe it is for the best, if someone can keep a model happy, it will be Neal.

“OK, you take her together with the two agents to the safe house and stay with her.”

 

* * *

_Back at the FBI…_

“Nothing on the phone.”

“It's a burner. You can pick up one of these at any corner deli.”

“Prints?”

“It's clean.”

Clinton enters the conference room and Peter can see somethings up.

“What's up?”

“We had Neal and two plain clothes taking Tara home. Somebody got to them about a half-hour ago.”

“Got to them how?”

“Blasted the car to hell.”

“Fortunately, our guys were wearing vests.”

“What about Tara and Neal?”

“They grabbed them, got away clean.”

Peter closes his eyes. This is not what he had expected to happen. He shouldn´t have let Neal join the agents, hell, he should have stayed with Tara and Neal himself.

“Peter?”

Peter opens his eyes while looking back at Clinton. “Neal wasn´t wearing a vest.” It is a statement, not a question. Clinton just nods.

“He was shot?”

“We think so, there was blood on the back seat. Forensics will be able to tell us more.”

“How bad?”

“Through and through, we found the bullet in the back seat. Quite some blood loss.”

The cell phone in the evidence bag starts buzzing and Peter tears it out of the plastic bag.

“ _I have the girl and her escort. What's the dress worth to you now?”_

Peter places the telephone on speaker phone on the conference table so everybody can hear the conversation.

“So, now what?”

“ _You want your agent, I want the dress.”_

“Trade? Where and when? And why me?”

“ _Why you? Because it was always the FBI that held the dress.”_

“I want to talk to them.”

Peter can hear the telephone being handed to someone else. He hears someone panting.

“Neal? Are you alright?”

“Peter? I...”

There is a loud thump, like a body hitting the floor. He can hear Tara gasp.

“Tara, are you OK?”

“ _Agent Burke, convinced that they are alive?”_

“You want me to make the exchange.”

“ _That's right. You'll meet me at the central park band shell tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 P.M_.”

That is good. It gives them plenty of time to get their men into position.

“Clinton, Lauren, call in all available agents. Let´s get ready for tomorrow.”

 

* * *

 

By the time Peter arrives home, El has fallen asleep on the couch.

“Hon.”

“Sorry, I fell asleep.”

“No, my fault, but I had to make sure everything was right for tomorrow.”

“How is Neal?”

“We don´t know. I sort of talked to him on the phone. He is hurt, we think he was shot. Ghovat is smart enough not to let Neal bleed out.”

El isn´t happy with that answer, so much is clear.

“Hon, I got you another present.” She says out of nowhere.

“Honey, not another one. I-I'm enjoying my first one.”

“Don't.”

El hands Peter his present and to his surprise it is his old watch.

“But I-I-I-I love my new one.”

“Come on, honey, it's -- it's big, it's clunky, it moves around your wrist, and -- I mean, it's beautiful, but it's not you. I need you to be agent Peter Burke tomorrow. And this -- this is you. Besides, um, when all this is over with, I need you home at 6:00 right on the dot.”

Peter realizes this is exactly why he loves El.

“Thank you.”

 

* * *

The next morning all agents involved meet in the conference room. Hughes briefs everybody about the information on the security device in the dress.

“Remember, we're putting this girl's life at risk.”

“We could put the entire monetary system of Europe at risk. Guess who wins.”

“Are we good to go?”

“We are good.”

“Okay, people, let's do this.”

They drive up to the park and Peter gets out and walks towards the Shell. We he stands in front of it, his telephone rings.

“ _You're right on time_.”

“I like to be punctual.”

“ _Well, that's one thing we have in common_.”

“I don't see you.”

“ _Of course you don't.”_

Peter starts signing Ghovat´s number to the people in the van so they can trace the call.

“How do I know you still have them? I want to hear their voice.”

The telephone is handed to someone and Peter really prays it is Neal so he can hear he is alright.

“ _Agent Burke?”_

“Tara, are you okay?”

“ _Bethesda fountain.”_ Ghovat´s voice orders.

“That's 300 yards.”

“ _You've got one minute. If I see any of your agents or unmarked vehicles move, the girl and pretty boy are dead. Your time starts now.”_

Peter grabs the clothing bag and starts running. To the agents he encounters on his way, he shouts.

“Everyone stay where you are! Stay down! Everybody hold their positions.”

Finally he arrives at the fountain, panting, he scans the area. There they are, Ghovat and Tara.

“Where is Neal?”

“Ach, your agent, as you probably already know, got hurt in the takedown. He is still alive. Let´s do the exchange and I will tell you where you can find him. You'll notice, agent Burke, I've added a little fashion accessory of my own to our model friend here. The belt is lined with plastic. I dial a number here and she goes "boom". Give her the dress.”

Peter stalls a moment, but passes the dress to Tara, who turns towards Ghovat.

“Toss it.”

Tara does so.

The exchange is made.

“Please don't try anything. I have five bars and free long distance. I can be far away and still cause you pain.”

“Where is Neal?” Peter shouts.

“You will find him in the blue Ford outside the gate at the Shell.”

Peter is a moment unsure what to do next, how can he avoid Tara being blown to bits and save his CI?

Back in agent mode, he instructs his people. “Let him walk. Even if he's bluffing, we can't take the chance.”

When his phone rings, Peter startles. It is Mozzie. “Suit, you need to keep calling. Jam his phone so he can't trigger the bomb. Keep calling him!”

“Everybody else, keep dialing.”

Hughes picked up on the conversation through Peter´s com and instructs the rest of the agents.

“Jam the phones! Keep calling him! We're jamming his call.”

“Get the belt off of her. I will go to Neal.” Mozzie tells Peter.

Peters struggles with the belt but finally it comes off. He puts it down on the ground and can see other agents moving everybody out of the way. An agent walks up to them and escorts Tara to the van and Peter takes off towards the Shell. While he runs he hears in his earpiece that Lauren took down Ghovat and he is taken into custody. Hughes informs Peter that the area is contained and that the bomb squad is on their way. Good, he knew he could trust his team. Now his only concern is Neal. When Peter arrives at the mentioned car, Mozzie is already inside. He should have know the little man would be there lurking in the bushes.

Neal is pale as a sheet. Mozzie informs Peter that he is breathing. They can hear the sirens closing in. Peter mentally thanks Hughes for making sure an ambulance would meet them, he has completely forgotten to call one.

“Hey Neal, come on buddy, can you open your eyes?”

Neal is sweaty, pale and his lips are slightly blue. His breathing is labored. When Peter touches his forehead, he is not surprised to feel the fever that is raging through Neal. He looks more dead than alive and Peter is worried.

“Neal, you are starting to freak out the suit, come on, I know it isn´t easy, but open your eyes.” Mozzie encourages Neal and Peter is already getting back out of the car, when there is a moan. Peter dives back in the car.

“Good Neal, come on, I know you can do it.”

An ambulance stops next to the car and the two paramedics prepare their gear while Peter briefs them.

“Mister Caffrey?” One of the medics took Peter´s place in the car next to Neal.

“Neal, his name is Neal.”

“Neal? My name is Tom and I am a paramedic. You are doing good, can you open your eyes?”

“Wht?”

Neal´s eyelids flutter but they don´t open. He startles badly when one of the paramedics starts to cut away his clothing to get a better look of the wound.

“It is OK Neal. I just need to look at the wound. You will feel a prick in your left hand. It is an IV, so I can give you some fluids, OK?”

“Wht? Mzie?”

“I´m here, let them take care of you. Peter is here too.”

“OK, we are going to put a pressure bandage on the wound and prepare for transport.”

 

* * *

 

“It was nice of your FBI friend to give you this.” Mozzie sits on a chair next to Neal who is lying on the couch recuperating from his gunshot wound. He left the hospital yesterday and June has prepared Neal´s loft, there is food, drinks and comfortable pillows and ottomans so Neal can rest.

Peter gave Neal the tape in a care package at the hospital as a get well present, but there hadn´t been a tape recorder. So Mozzie brought one over to watch the tape.

“There's no sound.”

“shh.”

“Why are you shushing me?”

Neal watches the tape with intensity, that sort of scares Mozzie. He is rethinking his idea of bringing a tape recorder. He thought he was doing Neal a favor, but now he has his doubts. Neal needs his rest but Mozzie knows better than to advise Neal against watching the tape.

“Does she always wear her hair parted that way?”

“Yeah, I'm way past that.”

“Wait.”

“Her scarf is forming the letter M. 13th letter in the alphabet.”

“13 is a prime.”

“Thanks rain man.”

“Do you want my help? There it is.”

“There it is.”

“How's your Morse code? ‘B’ ‘o’ double ‘t’ ‘l’’e’.” Mozzie spells out loud.

"bottle”.

 

…


End file.
